Text size:

Scott knows all he needs is a chance; it just may not come

Gary Blockus

August 20, 2008

It took a while, maybe a bit too long, but then came that fabulous smile.

That Cheshire cat gleaming smile.

After playing on just one kickoff return for the Cleveland Browns on Monday night, Austin Scott was not a very happy camper.

Instead of showing his disgust and disappointment at getting no offensive plays in the preseason loss to the New York Giants, Scott tried hard to put a positive spin on things.

Gary Blockus E-mail | Recent columns

Still, his sullen face told the story.

As the 23-year-old Scott sat at his locker stall in the bowels of Giants Stadium, his upper body looking bigger than ever, and every bit the size of an NFL running back at 5-11, 225 pounds.

But then his face lit up, and suddenly, Scott looked like the former Parkland High School All-State running back that set Pennsylvania records with 3,853 rushing yards and 53 touchdowns in his senior season.

''This is the place where I saw my first professional game,'' a suddenly animated Scott said when asked what it was like to walk onto the field at Giants Stadium. ''My first professional game that I watched was in this stadium; I think it was Jets versus Giants. It was cool walking in here, yeah, definitely.''

Scott talked excitedly about the difference between the crowd at Giants Stadium and the 110,000 blue and white faithful that show up in Happy Valley on Saturdays.

''At Penn State we had a little bit bigger stadium,'' he said. ''The crowd was a little bit more into it, a little bit louder at our games. Even if it was full here, we had 110,000 at Penn State.''

But even that smile, that sudden rise to alertness, can't help Scott as he battles for a spot on the Browns 53-man roster for the regular season. Scott is one of 80 on the Browns right now, a number that will be cut to 75 Tuesday, then to 53 on Aug. 30.

It's not looking good for Scott, either. As an undrafted rookie free agent who made the 80-man roster on a tryout, he's getting little chance to show his stuff in training camp. The depth chart really doesn't list beyond three-deep, and Scott's name is fifth and last among the running backs on the team flip card.

''It's a little tough to handle, but you just have to wait for your opportunity and keep on plugging away, you know,'' said Scott, who had the same attitude at Penn State, when his senior season came to an end just as it was beginning after being dismissed from the team for breaking curfew, and then being falsely accused of rape.

''I went in there and tried the best I could,'' he said of returning the kickoff 22 yards to make the stat sheets on his one and only play of the night.

Without getting carries in practice or preseason games, however, Scott has little chance to showcase his skills for Browns coach Romeo Crennel or running backs coach Anthony Lynn, whom he stood next to every time the Browns' offense was on the field.

''I try to stay close just in case I get in to play, in case he wanted to throw me in anytime, but today wasn't the day,'' Scott said. ''Today wasn't the day. I really haven't had much time to play.''

Sadly for Scott, tomorrow may not be the day, either. He needs a chance to show he's still the same talented running back who dominated the Pennsylvania schoolboy scene just a few years ago.

That same smile he had back in high school is still there. So is the talent, when he gets to show it, but one kickoff return in two preseason games doesn't bode well when it comes time to trim the roster.

gary.blockus@mcall.com

610-820-6782